RAN STATION 3
CONTROLLED MINING AND GUARD LOOP STATION
COWAN COWAN, MORETON ISLAND, QLD
DURING WWII
In early 1942 the Queensland Main Roads Commission was directed to erect buildings, anti-aircraft gun emplacements, command and battery observation posts, underground plotting room, magazines, accommodation for officers and men, a 20,000 gallon concrete tank, and a 20 bed hospital at Cowan Cowan (aboriginal Kau-in Kau-in) on Moreton Island for Cowan Battery. There were also instructed to build a Controlled Mine Station with accommodation for officers and men of the Royal Australian Navy which became RAN Station 3 Controlled Mining and Guard Loop Station.
RAN Station 3 was located within the boundaries of the Cowan Battery or Examination Battery (see photo below).
RAN Station 3 was responsible for the following two controlled minefields which were part of the seaward defences for Moreton Bay
There were 16 Mine Loops and 6 Guard Loops between Moreton Island and Bribie Island, which were laid on 27 June 1942 by the British mine layer "HMS Atreus". This minefield was replaced on 9 June 1944.
RAN Station 3 was located at the southern end of Cowan Battery and comprised:-
a concrete underground mine control hut
a concrete generator hut
a concrete observation post about 1650 yards away
Living facilities on site comprised:-
Officers' sleeping quarters, mess and kitchen (90' x 18' )
Ratings' recreation room and mess (130' x 18'),
Ratings' sleeping and ablutions hut.
Septic tank and soakage pits
Water storage tank (1,000 gallons)
The Naval Board decided by mid 1944 that RAN Station 3 buildings should be handed over to the Department of Interior for safe custody. NOIC Brisbane advised Naval Board on 30 August 1944, that buildings (I presume this is referring to the living facilities only) at RAN Station 3 had been completely dismantled and the remaining complements would be withdrawn by 1 September 1944.
Photo:- via Bruce Gilbert
A view of
Cowan Battery, the Examination Battery,
on Moreton Island.
RAN Station 3 was located at the southern end of
Cowan Battery
NAA Plan
Labelled Cowan Cowan Defence Area Plan. It does not appear to label the gun sites.
Cowan Battery area on 1 May 1958
David Nielsen sent me some photos below believed to be of RAN Station 3 at Cowan Cowan during WWII. The photos were taken by his father Lance Sergeant Leonard Alexander Nielsen who marched out to Fort Cowan on 26 November 1941 with the rank of Lance Sergeant. He marched in from Fort Cowan on 12 December 1941. His Attestation Form for his enlistment into the AIF on 16 October 1942 shows him as subscribed at "Fort Cowan".
Photo:- Lance Sergeant Leonard Alexander
Nielsen
Photo:- Lance Sergeant Leonard Alexander
Nielsen
Photo:- Lance Sergeant Leonard Alexander
Nielsen
Photo:- Lance Sergeant Leonard Alexander
Nielsen
NOTE:- The RAN's Port War Signal Station (PWSS) for the port of Brisbane was located at 25 Dorothy Newnham Street, Cowan Cowan by early 1940. The PWSS moved to a house called "Buena Vista", in Canberra Terrace, Caloundra on 9 September 1940 and eventually became known as RAN Station 1. In 1942 the Navy constructed a three storey reinforced concrete building at Wickham Point, Caloundra, which became RAN Station 1 Caloundra PWSS. The former PWSS building at 25 Dorothy Newnham St., Cowan Cowan still exists and is listed on the Heritage Register of the Brisbane City Council (ID No. 601097). So it was the forerunner to RAN Station 1, however it may have been reused by RAN Station 3 or even Cowan Battery.
REFERENCES
Indicator Loops
by Dr. Richard Walding
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank David Nielsen, John Perryman, Dr. Richard Walding, Bruce Gilbert and David Jones for their assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page first produced 24 April 2015
This page last updated 15 January 2020
